Bill obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) in 1970 and a Masters of Economics in 1974 from the University of Montana. He then taught at the University of Montana for four years before joining the staff of Mount Royal in 1978, where he taught economics for two years. Following the completion of his MBA from Arizona State University in 1981, he returned to Mount Royal to teach finance in the School for Business. In 1984, he obtained his CFP designation.
From 1984 to 1991, Bill owned and operated Duckworth Farm, an agribusiness that sold an ethnic egg product locally and to the U.S. market. From 1999 to 2000 he assisted a dot.com start up company in San Jose with their business plan prior to their successful launch as a public company.